Electromagnetically operated shaver



June 24, 1941'. Q scmFFL 2,246,601

ELECTROMAGNETI CALLY OPERATED SHAVER Filed April 22. 193% I i 7 y F' T??? 2 5 i i 32 INV in which Figure 1 is a front'elevation of an -electric Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'ELECTROMAGNETICALLY (EPERATED SHAVER This invention relates .in general to. electromagnetically operated shavers, one object of the invention being to provide novel and improved,

simple and inexpensivemeans for. electromagnetically causinga shearingaction between two cooperating elements, for example a blade and a toothed guard plate.

shearing elements shall constitute the armature I of an electromagnet in which the flow of magnetic flux rapidly alternatesor pulsates so that said shearing element shall be actuated directly magnetically without any mechanical connections between it and the sourceofpower.

Other objects are to provide a shaver wherein the magnetic-flux 1113311 alternating current elec' tromagnet shall be utilized in a'novel, improved, simple and efficient way to actuate shearing or cutting mechanism; and to obtain other advantages and. results as will be brought out by the following description, and accompanying drawing shaver embodying my invention with portions broken away for clearness in illustration.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 3-.-3 of Figure 1.

Figure l is a top plan view of the razor, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional, .view. through the .head of the shaver showing two positions .of the blade.

For the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, I have shown theinvention as embodied in certain.dctailspistructure, but it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in other details of structure and in other types of, shavers without departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention.

As shown, the shaver includes a casing A, preferably formed of non magnetic and electric insulating material, the casing having a recess I which opens at one end 2. of the casing is arranged an electromagnet'which is shown as comprising a core 13 formed of a pile of approximately U-shaped iron lamina.- tions 3 secured together in side by side relation as by rivets 4.

Within the recess I A coilor winding C is mounts having a shearing edge ed on the base of the U-shaped core as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3. The electromagnet is mounted in the recess with the free end of the core projecting from the open end 2 of the recess, and the extremities of the arms of the core preferably are arcuate or curved as at 5. The winding C may be connected in an electric circuit in any suitable manner as by connecting the terminals 6 of the winding to terminal pins 1 secured in the casing and projecting into a recess 8 in the end of the casing into which the plug of electric cord may be inserted for connection with the pins 1 in known manner.

Secured to the end of the casingA from which projects the core of the electromagnet, is a head D which is shown as comprising a sheet metal plate 9, preferably nonmagnetiahaving a seat I0 for a blade I I disposed at one side of the core B and a combined guard and shearing element I2 at the opposite side of the core.

The blade II is formed of flexibly resilient material for example, steel, and has one longitudinal edge curled as at I3 and fitted in the seat ID, the opposite longitudinal edgeof the blade I4 which overlies the guard and shearing element I2.

The guard or shearing element I2 is shown as formed of a single piece of sheet metal folded upon itself as at I5 so as to provide a smooth rounded edge for contact with the face during shaving operations. The guard and shearing element also has a plurality of slots 16 opening through said curved edge I5 with the edges I! of the slots disposed diagonally with'respect to the longitudinal cutting edge I4 of the blade I I. The blade II. may be held in the seat in any suitable manner, but I have shown the edgeof the plate at opposite ends of the seat curled inwardly at IE to form eyes in alinement with the curl I 3 on the blade when the blade is in the seat, and a rod I9 is inserted through the eyes and overlies the blade in the curled edge I3. The blade may be mounted on the head by tilting the blade into an approximately vertical plane, slipping the curled edge I3 under the rod I9 and then hingedly lowering the blade so that its cutting edge I4 rests on the guard I2, and the blade may be removed by reversing these operations.

Preferably, the blade I I initially is curved transversely as shown in Figure 3 so as to be normally spaced from the arms of the core B of the electromagnet as shown in Figure 3. When the winding C of the electromagnet is connected in an alternating current circuit, the alternations of the current will cause alternations in thefiow of magnetic flux so as to flex the blade along the lines parallel with the cutting edge [4 and cause said cutting edge to slide over the edges ll of the slots I6 as shown in Figure 5. In this figure two positions of the blade are shown respectively by solid and dot and dash lines. The sliding of the cutting edge I4 along the edges of the slots i! will result in a shearing action such as to shear or cut any hairs disposed in the slots. It will be observed that the blade will be flexed alternately in opposite directions rapidly and approximately simultaneously with the alternations of the alternating current.

The shaver may be used in known manner by pressing the guard and edge of the blade against and sliding them over the face.

If desired, the electromagnet may be provided for use in a direct current circuit with a suitable vibrator so as to cause pulsations in the current flowing through the winding. Such pulsations would cause flexing of the blade in one direction and the inherent resiliency of the blade would cause flexing thereof in the opposite direction.

Preferably, although not necessarily, a cap plate E is provided to shield the face of the user of the shaver from the vibrations of the blade. The cap plate is curved approximately to correspond to the curvature of the blade and has one edge hingedly connected at 2 to the rod IS. The other edge of the cap plate at its ends has spring fingers 2! to snap over and rest upon the inner edge of the guard and shearing element l2. The cap plate is thus supported in spaced relation to the blade, and a major portion of the blade is covered by the cap plate. When it is desired to apply or remove a blade, it is simply necessary to disengage the spring fingers 2| from the guard l2 and swing the plate upwardly about the rod 20 as a hinge, as shown by dot and dash lines in Figure 2.

If desired suitable means may be provided for ensuring constant contact of the cutting edge [4 of the blade I I with the guard l2 during vibration of the blade. As shown, the cap plate E may have a lug 22 stamped therefrom to press against the blade adjacent the edge opposite the cutting edge when the cap plate is in operative position, so as to hold down the cutting edge against the guard.

With this construction it will be observed that the shaver includes two cooperating shearing elements H and [2 one of which, in the present instance the blade H, constitutes an armature for the electromagnet. Therefore, the shearing element or blade II is actuated directly magnetically without any mechanical connections between it and the source of power, that is, the electromagnet.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An electric shaver comprising a casing having an opening at one end, an electromagnet in said casing including a core projecting through said opening and a winding on said core, a flexibly resilient blade of magnetic material having a shearing edge, a head on said casing having a seat for the edge of said blade opposite said shearing edge at one side of said core and a combined guard and shearing element at the other ment in said seat, whereby said blade is flexed under magnetic influence along lines parallel with said shearing edge to cause movement laterally of said shearing edge along said diagonal edges of said slots.

2. An electric shaver comprising an electromagnet, and a pair of relatively movable cooperating shearing elements one of which constitutes the armature for said electromagnet and comprises a flexibly resilient blade having a shearing edge, and means mounting said blade so that the blade is flexed under magnetic influence to cause movement of said shearing edge relatively to the other shearing element.

3. An electric shaver comprising an electromagnet, and a pair of relatively movable cooperating shearing elements one of which constitutes the armature for said electromagnet and comprises a flexibly resilient blade having a shearing edge, and means mounting said blade with the edge thereof opposite said shearing edge held against movement and so that the blade is flexed under magnetic influence along lines parallel to said shearing edge to cause movement of said shearing edge relatively to the other shearing element.

4. An electric shaver comprising an electromagnet, and a pair of relatively movable cooperating shearing elements one of which constitutes the armature for said electromagnet and comprises a flexibly resilient blade having a shearing edge, and means mounting said blade so that the blade is flexed under magnetic influence to cause movement of said shearing edge relatively to the other shearing element, the other shearing element having slots the edges of which are diagonally disposed with respect to said shearing edge and over which said shearing edge is slidable to shear hairs between said edges of said slots and said shearing edge.

5. An electric shaver comprising an electromagnet, and a pair of relatively movable cooperating shearing elements one of which constitutes the armature for said electromagnet and comprises a flexibly resilient blade having a shearing edge, and means mounting said blade with the edge thereof opposite said shearing edge held against movement and so that the blade is flexed under magnetic influence along lines parallel to said shearing edge to cause movement of said shearing edge relatively to the other shearing element, the other shearing element having slots the edges of which are diagonally disposed with respect to said shearing edge and over which said shearing edge is slidable to shear hairs between said edges of said slots and said shearing edge.

6. An electric shaver comprising an electromagnet, and a pair of relatively movable cooperating shearing elements one of which constitutes the armature for said electromagnet and comprises a flexibly resilient blade having a shearing edge, and means mounting said blade so that the blade is flexed under magnetic influence to cause movement of said shearing edge relatively to the other shearing element, said electromagnet being operable by alternating current and including a laminated core underlying said element and a winding on said core.

7. An electric shaver comprising an electromagnet, and a pair of relatively movable cooperating shearing elements one of which has a shearing edge and a flexibly resilient magnetic portion that constitutes the armature for said electromagnet, and means mounting said one shearing element so that said portion is flexed under magnetic influence to cause movement of said shearing edge relatively to the other shearing element. v

8. An electric shaver comprising a casing having an opening at one end, an alternating current electromagnet including a core projecting through said opening and a winding on said core,

an element having a shearing edge and a flexibly 10 resilient magnetic portion overlying said core, a head on said casing having a means mounting said element so that said flexibly resilient portion is flexed under magnetic influence to cause movement of said shearing edge, and a combined 15 guard and shearing element underlying said shearing edge for shearing cooperation therewith.

9. The electric shaver set iorth in claim 8 with the addition of a cap plate overlying said element in spaced relation thereto inwardly of said shearing edge.

10. An electric shaver comprising a pair of relatively movable cooperating shearing elements one of which includes a normally curved flexibly resilient magnetic portion, an alternating current electromagnet including a laminated core and a winding thereon, and means mounting said one element with said flexibly resilient magnetic portion forming the armature of said electromagnet so that said portion will be flexed alternately in opposite directions by its inherent resiliency and by magnetic influence, respectively, to cause movement of said shearing edge relatively to the other shearing element.

CHARLES SCHIIFFL. 

